Doctor Who: The Doctor’s Wife Spoilery Review

What can I say? This episode, for me, is what happens when fandoms collide. I have actually been a fan of Neil Gaiman much longer than of Doctor Who, but seeing the two come together is enough to make any fan girl squeal with joy.

Two years ago, I was at the Gallifrey One convention and the running joke was that Neil Gaiman would be doing an episode of Doctor Who. But at the time, it was just that: a joke. As fans of the series, we all laughed about it and dismissed any rumors that such a thing would ever be possible. And yet, here we are, in 2011, with this latest episode written by Mr. Gaiman himself. Isn’t it funny how these things happen?

To say that this episode did not disappoint would be an understatement. It was Gaiman at his most brilliant, with lots of things that just felt so like him and his writing. It also seems to me that Gaiman decided to write in the style of classic Who, as this turned out to be a fun adventure in a vein that we haven’t seen in a very long time. It was funny and adventurous and definitely a step up from the previous episode that aired, “Curse of the Black Spot.”

I also especially liked seeing Rory have even more of a presence in this episode. And this is one of those episodes where I didn’t hate Amy. These two stayed out of the way during the episode, locked up inside the blue box and running through its corridors from the thing that had stolen it and taken them away from the Doctor. Meanwhile, the Doctor hashes a plan to save the day, as it should be.

However, it is not Amy or Rory or even the Doctor that this episode belongs to. The TARDIS herself steals every scene as she is made into flesh, given a woman’s body and fulfilling a lifelong fantasy for the Doctor. Suranne Jones was wonderfully cast as Idris, the woman whose body contained the TARDIS’ soul. Seeing the Doctor’s reaction to this was good fun! Oh, the dirty thoughts that must have been going through his mind!

Unfortunately, the TARDIS’ soul could not possibly fit into a mortal body without eventually killing it, so she had to go back into the blue box at the end. She takes her final bow beautifully with her last words being used to tell the Doctor hello. This scene, in particular, was very touching. And fulfilled the age long question that many fans have asked: what would happen if the TARDIS could speak?

This is why the episode is called “The Doctor’s Wife.” The TARDIS is truly the only woman the Doctor has ever truly loved throughout his incarnations.